Hermione's Advice
by snuggle the muggle
Summary: Harry's bad mood makes things difficult for everyone. Especially the girl who loves him. Fortunately, Hermione has a few suggestions.


**Hermione's Advice**

_A/N: This story was written for a Live Journal challenge, "Rewrite It" at hpgwotp. My prompt was "Grimmauld Place." This story is definitely not what I imagined when I took this prompt. It's an interesting Harry/Ginny story as Harry never even makes an appearance. However, we know parts of this discussion actually did take place in the canon, even though it was "off screen," so to speak, so we aren't privy to the details. And we know the conversation, whenever it did actually take place, really set the course for the future of Harry and Ginny's relationship. So, with that in mind, I hope you enjoy it._

August 5, 1995:

"Harry is coming tomorrow!" Ginny exclaimed as she threw open the heavy door into the dreary room she and Hermione were sharing at Headquarters. Hermione looked up from her book. "George managed to hear a bit of the meeting and it sounds like there'll be a group sent to fetch him in the evening."

"Is he still okay?" Hermione's expression was still clouded in worry, the same as it had been for the last four days since they had heard of the chaos in Privet Drive.

"I imagine so. If not, they'd get him out now, wouldn't they?" Ginny sat heavily down on her bed, shoving Crookshanks aside. "He'll be here tomorrow." She winced inwardly at the longing even she heard in her voice. She hadn't meant it to come out that way.

Hermione closed the heavy book she was reading and shoved it on top of a large pile already occupying the scarred and dusty surface of the table next to her bed. "It'll be good to see him, won't it?"

Ginny sighed and then looked up into Hermione's concerned face. "Do you think . . . that this time, maybe, he'll . . . . I mean, what can I do? To make him notice me? As a girl?"

"Merlin knows, Ginny, I'm not the one to be asking for advice in that department!" They both chuckled darkly at Hermione's words.

"At least Ron knows you're a girl now. I think Harry still pictures me as a particularly large and annoying garden gnome." Ginny picked up her pillow and squeezed it in frustration, hoping Hermione wasn't paying too close attention to her.

"That's not true." Hermione laughed. "He knows you're a girl – he just, uh, well . . . ." Her voice trailed off and Ginny sighed again. Ginny knew that Hermione hated to lie to her, even to make her feel better.

"I've yet to see any evidence of it. Seriously, Hermione. What can I do? Obviously I've been doing something wrong! Is it my clothes? My hair? What? You know him better than anyone else! You've got to have some suggestions!"

"I don't know what Harry likes in the way of girls. He thinks Cho Chang is beautiful."

"So does everyone. But I can't very well make myself look like her! I've got too many freckles, and my hair is hopeless!"

"Look, Ginny, I'm not trying to hurt your feelings or anything-"

"If you have any ideas, I'll listen, no matter how painful they might be! I'm desperate, Hermione!"

"Okay. Trying to be objective here, I'm not sure Harry really knows you."

"What!?" Her response came out as a squeak and Ginny flushed as Hermione giggled.

"Rather, he doesn't know what you're really like. You still sort of freeze and get all nervous and clumsy when he's around."

"Not always!" Ginny could feel the heat of her blush in her cheeks.

"No, obviously not always, but a lot of times. You never really talk to him or anything. Why don't you just relax a bit?"

"That's easy to say! You don't think I've tried to avoid embarrassing myself in front of him? It just, you know, happens."

"You've got a great personality, Ginny, with tons of friends at school. I think you're actually quite marvelous, but, uh, when's the last time you even spoke to him?"

Ginny scowled and thought back to the last few times she had seen Harry and what words had actually been exchanged. "I guess it has been a while," she conceded. "I usually just manage to stammer out a hello and then I turn bright red and I can't think of anything else to say."

"Exactly. I know it's hard to do this, but maybe picturing the whole conversation before you really see him will help."

Ginny listened politely as Hermione started talking about hypnosis and yoga and tried to make agreeing noises, although she truly had no idea what she was talking about about. There had to be a way to get Harry to like her this year! After all, he was a step further along than Ron, who still didn't even think of girls as being fanciable unless they were part Veela. She would relax and try to be more like her usual self around Harry when he got here tomorrow night and maybe, just maybe, he'd notice how much she really liked him and maybe, just maybe, he'd like her back.

August 6th

This time, it was Hermione who threw open the heavy door, slamming it shut behind her and sitting heavily on her bed. "That was interesting!"

"Was it?" Ginny sniffed, wiping her hand across her eyes.

"I mean in the most horrible of ways! The whole evening was a disaster as far as I can tell."

"I've got to agree." Ginny wiped her eyes again, wishing she could perform a cooling charm on them. They hurt badly from all her crying. "Mum humiliated me! She acted like I was five and had to go down for a nap!"

"No five-year-old knows the words you were throwing around, Ginny. You're lucky she didn't wash your mouth out."

"She gave as good as she got, Hermione. Ron got his nasty tongue from her, you know." This oft-used line usually got them both giggling, but not tonight. Hermione sniffled, and Ginny wordlessly handed her the box of tissues she had been using herself.

"He's so angry! I don't know what to say to him!"

There was no need to specify who "he" was. Ginny had been proud of herself earlier in the evening, when she had managed to speak very calmly to Harry, despite the fact that he was practically radiating anger through the whole room, but it had all been for nothing. Harry had looked at her exactly the same way he always did. The exact same way he looked at every one of her brothers. Hermione's plan had failed miserably.

Ginny wiped her streaming eyes one more time, and laid down, listening to Hermione's recap of the conversation from the kitchen. She had a little more than three weeks to convince Harry she was a girl. That was plenty of time. She fell asleep imagining what it would be like to actually kiss Harry and had pleasant dreams all night.

August 11th

"Do you think he even cares that I'm 14 now, Hermione?" Ginny washed her face carefully in the cold water Kreacher had provided earlier. Her mum had let her wear makeup tonight for her birthday party, but she was fairly sure that Harry hadn't even noticed.

"Well, he did feel bad he hadn't gotten you a present," Hermione said as she changed into her nightgown.

"I suppose."

"He did, truly. He told Ron this morning he felt bad that he didn't realize it was already your birthday."

"Mmm. Well, the Galleons were a nice gift. I can pick out something myself that way."

"Exactly." Both girls sat silently for a minute. "I think . . . he's got a lot on his mind today."

"I know. I'm worried about that bloody hearing tomorrow, even though we've all told him he has nothing to worry about."

"Yes, me too. I would like to think the Ministry would ultimately see justice done and just drop the whole thing, but I have a feeling that isn't going to happen."

"If he does get off, I'm going to be brave and hug him! I've made up my mind."

"That would be brave!" Hermione giggled.

"Maybe you could hug him first and then it wouldn't seem so strange for me to do it?" Ginny looked sideways at her friend. She always envied Hermione's easy ability to touch Harry.

"Maybe. He, uh, doesn't really seem to like my hugging him lately. I'm not really sure –"

"Oh. Well, never mind then." Ginny flushed. If Hermione didn't hug him first, she would never dare to do it by herself.

"You've been talking to him quite a lot so far." Hermione looked at her with approval.

Ginny laughed sadly. "For all the good it's done me."

August 31st

"It's been three weeks, Hermione, and he still doesn't love me." Ginny threw herself onto her bed again, and then started violently as a quill poked her in the back. She reached under her shoulder blade, grabbed the offending quill, and tossed it into her open trunk.

"He talks to you now, at least."

"He was always polite, Hermione. But he still has the rather confused expression on his face."

"What expression?"

"The one that means, 'Who is this large garden gnome and why is it talking to me?'"

"Oh, please!" Hermione laughed and threw a pair of folded socks at Ginny. "He knows you're not a gnome!"

"Seriously, though. I don't know if I can live through another year like the last one. I just . . . I can't."

"I understand." There was a note of sadness in Hermione's voice and Ginny knew she really did understand. Last year had been difficult for Hermione due to Ginny's git of a brother and his complete insensitivity for anyone else's feelings.

Ginny stared at the cobweb-covered ceiling. They had dusted it three times this month, and it still looked as grungy and dirty as ever. "It's got to be better this year, right?"

"Can't be worse," Hermione agreed. "At least we aren't having a stupid ball. And Harry won't have to fight dragons."

"True." Ginny lay in silence for a few more moments, listening to Hermione pack her trunk. "What else can I do, Hermione?" There was no need to elaborate. She knew that the other girl understood her question.

"I've been thinking, Ginny. Maybe, well, don't take this the wrong way or anything, I mean, I do think that eventually . . . well, I hope that some day, . . . ."

"Out with it, Hermione. I don't know what you're on about."

"You need to move on." This was said very fast, but Ginny caught every word.

"What?" She hoped she had misunderstood. Was Hermione telling her to give up hope? "What did you say?" Ginny looked over at her friend and saw the usual warring of emotions on her face – Hermione was trying to be honest with her but not hurt her feelings.

"Look, Ginny. I . . . damn, this is difficult." Ginny's eyebrows shot up. Hermione almost never cursed. "Harry isn't ready to like you, like you. He just isn't." She packed her last book into her trunk and shut it carefully. "I still think that eventually he will be able to like you in that way, but meanwhile . . . ."

"What, Hermione? Meanwhile, what?"

"Date other boys, Ginny. Have some fun. Realize there are other people out there you can like. Relax a bit. Learn how to flirt. I don't know, maybe kiss a boy or two." Ginny felt her heart contract in sudden pain.

"I -- I can't just -- I love him!" Ginny was angry now and struck out at the girl sitting so properly on her locked trunk. "You're a fine one to talk! You're just waiting around for my brother!"

Hermione recoiled like she had just been slapped and then stood up, two bright spots of color showing on her cheeks. "That's not true! I've dated! Viktor and I were quite close last year!"

"He couldn't even say your name!"

"He kissed me!" Hermione covered her mouth with both hands as though she could force the words back in but it was too late. Ginny sat up in shock.

"He did?! More than a peck on the cheek?"

Hermione stuck her chin out. "Yes, a bit more. I told him not to do it again, but-"

"What was it like? Snogging?"

"Nice." Hermione flushed lightly. "That's what I mean, Ginny. There are other nice boys out there."

"Maybe. But I do love Harry. Everyone thinks it's just a crush. But it's not."

"I know." Hermione smiled faintly. "I know."

"I can't just . . . stop."

"No, I suppose not. I just thought that while you were waiting for him to grow up a bit, maybe it would be good for you. But maybe I'm wrong."

"We'll be riding the train together tomorrow. While both you and Ron are busy."

"That's true." Hermione's smile looked a little brighter. "We have a prefect meeting for a while and I'm not sure what else we'll be expected to do."

"Maybe, maybe something will change. Train rides can be very romantic, you know."

"Maybe."

"I'll tell you what, Hermione. If by the time we get off the Hogwarts Express tomorrow evening, nothing has changed, I'll start looking around for a boyfriend, okay? Someone nice, smart, funny. Maybe even a good kisser."

Hermione crossed the room and hugged her lightly. "That sounds reasonable. There are some rather attractive boys in sixth year, you know."

"Really?" Ginny listened politely to Hermione's descriptions of the older boys in Gryffindor without much interest. No, if she were going to date someone else, if she could even bring herself to ever look at anyone else, it would make the most sense to date someone from another house. That way, she wouldn't get dirty looks from Ron and Fred and George all the time. Yes, that's exactly what she would do. If nothing changed on the train.


End file.
